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Dolly Parton?

K

Kit Taylor

Well-Known Member
She seems like an extremely nice person with a whole bunch of musical talent. So which of her albums are must haves?

TIA
 
Don't have much Dolly, but very much enjoy a 1975 US 'Best Of' album that includes 'Jolene', 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Love Is Like a Butterfly'. Would love to know where to start with her work as I usually like here stuff when I chance across it.

Think I'll put that record on now.
 
Kit Taylor said:
She seems like an extremely nice person with a whole bunch of musical talent. So which of her albums are must haves? TIA
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Not only is she very talented, she'd even be pretty if she hadn't inflated her boobs and especially her lips in such an infamous way. In fact she sings so good that the aforementioned artifacts wouldn't have been necessary in order to make her a star. I recommend The Grass Is Blue and the more country-like Coat Of Many Colors.
 
being a life long fan of "Jolene" it only hit me in the last twenty minutes that her voice carries the entire tune, the band is just an accompaniment......

As does nancy in "bang bang"

Cue lee and nancy for some crazy orchestration............

S
 
I'd start with the early years, from 1967-1975, where first she unleashed her amazing songwriting prowess along with her angelic voice. The best single-disc summary may be found on Mission Chapel Memories on the staggeringly fine Raven label from Australia.

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If you find that wets your whistle, proceed directly onward to a pair of RCA-era twofers Joshua/Coat Of Many Colors and Jolene/My Tennessee Mountain Home.

Round out your early Dolly digital collection with her RCA debut, Just Because I'm a Woman and a collection of duets with mentor Porter Waggoner imaginatively entitled The Essential Porter Waggoner & Dolly Parton

After that, the CD reissue well runs dry, but there are many more treasures to be found on 2nd-hand vinyl if you're willing to dig around.
 
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The Jolene LP is the way to start. Doesn't appear to be available on CD, outside of the twofers mentioned above -- but the original vinyl is pretty widely available around here, and sounds just fine. I'd probably follow this up with "In the Good Old Days," and "Coat of Many Colors." All on vinyl, of course.

The later stuff -- "The Grass Is Blue," "Little Sparrow," and "Halos and Horns" -- is pretty good, in a more rootsy/less schmaltzy way than most of her other stuff, although her voice isn't what it once was. She's got a recent live album out too -- "Live and Well" -- which, while it is a bit spotty in places, has a *very* serious cover of Stairway to Heaven which is well worth hearing. I've only seen these on CD.
 
In addition to the several great suggestions already posted, I'll second the oft-overlooked stuff she did with Porter Wagoner in the late 60's/early 70s. They worked really well together, and it's fine, fine music.

Mostly just available as Best Of compilations (on cd, anyway), any of which would be essential IMO.
 
Aaron Olmstead said:
The later stuff -- "The Grass Is Blue," "Little Sparrow," and "Halos and Horns" -- is pretty good, in a more rootsy/less schmaltzy way than most of her other stuff
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The more recent stuff has moved toward bluegrass. I've heard bits from 'The Grass is Blue' on the radio and enjoyed what I've heard, and have 'Little Sparrow' which is mostly a very good album.
 
Well blow me down, a thread that doesn't have the usual pisstakes! I should probably track down one of the Best Of's, I think.
 
The only thing I, a country interested person, has with her is the 2003 tribute album 'Just because I'm a woman' where other people sings her songs. I can recommend this one, she has clearly written many good songs and they are very well performed here.

JohanR
 
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